Act of Union 1707: 300th Anniversary

The Earl of Caithness: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the union of Parliaments between Scotland and England.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland will be marked by a commemorative £2 coin which will be issued in 2007, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Parliament on Thursday 15 June 2006.
	At present I am not aware of any other plans to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland.

Afghanistan: Government

Lord Elton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Amos) on 9 October (WA 1-2), whether the Government referred to in the first line of the Answer is the Government of Afghanistan; whether further consideration has been given by the Government of Afghanistan or Her Majesty's Government to the proposal to establish a department for promotion of virtue and prevention of vice; and, if so, to what effect.

Lord Triesman: The Government referred to in the first line of the Written Answer by the Lord President and Leader of the House of Lords, the right honourable Baroness, Lady Amos, to the noble Lord on 9 October (Official Report, cols. WA 1-2) was the Government of Afghanistan. The Government of Afghanistan have not yet made a formal proposal to establish a department for the promulgation of virtue and prohibition of vice.

Benefits: Disability

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What benefits are available to disabled people.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Depending on their personal circumstances, disabled people have access to the full range of social security benefits including disability living allowance and attendance allowance. In 2005-06, disability living allowance and attendance allowance provided over £13 billion towards the extra disability-related costs of almost 4.4 million disabled people in the United Kingdom.

British Citizenship

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House the ethnic minorities citizenship rules that are referred to on the British consulate-general Hong Kong's website.

Lord Triesman: There are no separate ethnic minority citizenship rules and what is referred to on our consulate-general in Hong Kong's website are the terms of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997. The word "rules" in the website is being replaced with "Act" to avoid confusion, and the erroneous reference to the Ethnic Minorities Citizenship Act 1997 is being replaced with a reference to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997. A copy of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 has been placed in the Library of the House.

British Citizenship

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House the Note Verbale (ref no: Con LA/1956) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal to the British embassy in Kathmandu.

Lord Triesman: The Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal to our embassy in Kathmandu was placed in the Library of the House on 6 October under cover of the reply of my noble friend the Minister of State for Criminal Justice and Offender Management, Lady Scotland of Asthal, QC, to the noble Lord on 19 July (Official Report, col. WA 179).

Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	By what measures Parliament will be able to assess the performance of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with respect to single farm payments bearing in mind that it has not indicated when future single farm payments are to be made.

Lord Rooker: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State said in his Statement on 22 June (Official Report, col. 1478) that delivery of the 2006 single payment scheme will be very challenging and that he did not want to commit to a particular payment timetable until the chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency has had an opportunity to make a realistic assessment of the prospects. That remains the position. Once a payment timetable has been decided, my right honourable friend will make a Statement to the House and publish performance targets for the agency.

Compensation: Department of Trade and Industry

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Department of Trade and Industry has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Department of Trade and Industry paid out a total of £11,951.67 in compensation to former employees in 2005-06. To provide information for earlier years would incur disproportionate cost.

Compensation: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Triesman: The total Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spend on compensation in each year since 1996 is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year 1996-97 £49,773.99 
			 Financial Year 1997-98 £50,937.26 
			 Financial Year 1998-99 £155,332.47 
			 Financial Year 1999-2000 £221,393.98 
			 Financial Year 2000-01 £145,444.90 
			 Financial Year 2001-02 £362,928.71 
			 Financial Year 2002-03 £129,943.75 
			 Financial Year 2003-04 £537,521.38 
			 Financial Year 2004-05 £1,663,241.28 
			 Financial Year 2005-06 £235,427.51 
		
	
	These figures include compensation payments made in relation to personal injury cases.
	Compensatory payments for dismissal come under three areas: payments resulting from awards against the FCO in an employment tribunal; payments for dismissal on grounds of poor performance; and payments for dismissal on grounds of poor attendance.
	The FCO retains central records on employment tribunal cases from 2003 onwards. During this time there have been no awards made against the FCO arising from dismissals. The FCO did however pay the sum of £1,500 in 2005 through a compromise agreement in settlement of an unfair dismissal claim.
	The FCO does not retain central records of compensation payments in respect of inefficiency/poor attendance. However, any compensatory payments the FCO has made in this regard were awarded within the rules governing such payments set out in the Civil Service Management Code.
	The figures for 2003-04 and 2004-05 include compensation payments for personal injuries sustained as a result of the bombing of our consulate-general in Istanbul.

Conventions

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which European and United Nations conventions still await signature or ratification by the United Kingdom.

Lord Triesman: Of the 630 treaties, conventions and related instruments for which the United Nations (and its predecessor the League of Nations) is depositary, there are currently 156 by which the UK has not consented to be bound, either through ratification or its equivalent. The UK has signed, but not ratified, 25 of these. I will arrange for a list to be placed in the Library of the House containing details of these treaties and conventions.
	International agreements made by the EU or the European Community (EC) are binding on the UK as a member state. Agreements entered into by the EC and the member states (so-called "mixed agreements") are subject to national ratification or its equivalent. The number of such agreements which have been signed but not yet ratified by the UK cannot be accurately assessed without incurring disproportionate cost.

Culture: ICONS

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the total cost of the organisation ICONS has been; and how much of this has been provided out of public funds.

Lord Davies of Oldham: ICONS is a Culture Online project run in partnership with Cognitive Applications. All project costs are provided out of public funds. The running costs amount to £43,500 each month (£522,000 per year). The project ends in March 2007, but has been designed to become a self-sustainable non-profit organisation after that date. The total cost therefore amounts to approximately £1,000,000.

Culture: ICONS

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the objective of the organisation ICONS; and whether that objective has been achieved.

Lord Davies of Oldham: ICONS is a Culture Online project run in partnership with Cognitive Applications. Its objective is to foster a creative collaboration between cultural institutions and individuals, and to provide a broad access to a rich resource of material about our lives and cultural heritage.
	The total number of unique visitors to date is 714,342. This is much higher than the visitor target for the first year of 150,000 unique visitors. Audience participation with the ICONS site remains high. For September 2006 the figures were:
	Nominations: 452
	Votes: 9,045

Defra: Budget

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What change in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' budget of 2006-07 has been requested of the Central Science Laboratory; and what are the likely staffing implications.

Lord Rooker: As a consequence of decisions in the recent reviews of its budgets by the department on the funding of bodies that in turn commission work from the Central Science Laboratory, the level of work at the laboratory funded indirectly by the department in 2006-07 is expected to reduce by around £220,000 (0.5 per cent of total turnover) compared with earlier expectations. The reduction has affected the provision of non-R&D scientific services in support of sustainable agriculture. The consequent loss of five funded posts has been accommodated through redeployment to non-Defra work and natural turnover.

Electoral Law: London Local Elections

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the report by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Authority of 26 October, Electoral offences in London following the local elections of May 2006, will lead to any further action on their part to safeguard the integrity of the system of postal voting.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Government have noted the commissioner's report and will consider its contents carefully. We believe that the legislation, guidance and better joint working between police and electoral administrators, introduced in time for the May 2006 elections, worked well in both deterring fraud and helping to expose it in the small number of places where attempts were made. We are confident that the further measures in the Electoral Administration Act 2006 will ensure that the May 2007 elections are even more secure from any attempted fraud.

Energy: Nuclear Waste

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a devolved Administration in one part of the United Kingdom can veto the long-term storage of high-level nuclear waste from another part of the United Kingdom if they decide to proceed with the long-term storage of high-level nuclear waste generated within their own jurisdiction.

Lord Rooker: The management of radioactive waste is a devolved issue. However, the UK Government and the devolved Administrations are working together on a UK-wide basis to take forward the managing radioactive waste safely programme.
	In developing the implementation framework for the geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste, the Government will consider the key stages and decision points and how willingness to participate, as well as any ability to withdraw, might be incorporated into the arrangements. The inventory of materials for disposal in any facility will need to be clearly defined before agreements with potential host communities can be finalised and before technical options are developed in any depth. The implementation framework will be subject to public consultation next year.

Energy: Nuclear Waste

Lord Inglewood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, when they are considering the long-term storage of nuclear waste, the availabilityof the community provision will be coterminous with the physical boundaries of the host community.

Lord Rooker: In developing the implementation framework for the geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste, the Government will consider the provision of any community packages and their relationship to the physical boundaries of host communities. The implementation framework will be subject to public consultation next year.

Eritrea and Ethiopia: Demilitarisation

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the United Nations is making progress towards the agreed demilitarisation of certain zones on the frontier of Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Lord Triesman: The UN Secretary-General expressed his deep concern about a large-scale incursion of Eritrean Defence Force troops into the temporary security zone on 16 October and urged the Government of Eritrea to withdraw immediately and to co-operate with the UN in restoring the ceasefire arrangements. We fully share the Secretary-General's concerns and reiterate the UN Security Council's calls on Eritrea to maintain the ceasefire arrangements and to extend full and unconditional co-operation to the UN's Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea and on both parties to implement fully the decision of the Ethiopia/Eritrea Boundary Commission on demarcating the border.

Freedom of Information

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What safeguards are in place to ensure that public authorities do not use the application of a public interest test to delay disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 beyond the time that is required to perform such a test.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Section 10 of the Freedom of Information Act requires public authorities to respond to requests for information promptly, and in any event no later than the 20th working day following receipt of the request. This timescale can be extended if the public authority requires additional time in order to determine whether the balance of the public interest requires disclosure of information that falls within a qualified exemption. If the requestor complains about the handling of a request, public authorities' own internal complaints procedures will need to consider whether the request was processed within the time limits prescribed in the FoI Act. The Information Commissioner and the Information Tribunal will also be able to consider the timeliness of responses in determining whether public authorities have acted lawfully and in accordance withSection 10.

Freedom of Information

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the impact of their proposal to amend the Freedom of Information regulations on the exercise of the freedom of the press to inform the public and the right of the public to be informed about the workings of Government (a) to include reading time, consideration time and consultation time spent by Ministers in the calculation of the appropriate limit above which requests for information could be refused on costs grounds; and (b) to aggregate requests made by any legal person, or persons apparently acting in cohort including newspapers and broadcasting companies, to each public authority for the purposes of calculating the appropriate limit.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The independent review commissioned by the Secretary of State was an economic analysis of the impact of FoI across central Government and the wider public sector. The aim of the changes we are considering is to ensure that we strike the right balance between the provision of information and the provision of public services. It is not our aim to fetter the freedom of the press to inform the public or reduce the right of the public to be informed about the workings of Government and we do not consider that the changes we are considering would have that effect.

Galileo Satellite Navigation System

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of the United Kingdom's share of the recent €200 million needed to cover the cost overruns incurred during the development of the European Galileo satellite navigation system; and whether this amount has been paid in full.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The UK's share of the €200 million was €31 million. These funds are principally required to cover costs associated with areas not covered within the original Galileo declaration. This includes additional system security requirements and the building of an additional technology demonstrator satellite and its associated launch costs. It will be paid in line with ESA financial call-ups.

Gangmasters

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the exclusion under the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 which applies to agricultural contractors who are providing an agricultural service and whose workers operate machinery would include an agency which supplies relief milkers to dairy farmers.

Lord Rooker: The Gangmasters Licensing (Exclusions) Regulations 2006 (the exclusions regulations) fine tune the scope of the gangmasters' licensing arrangements by specifying the circumstances where a person does not need to obtain a gangmasters' licence. These include the supply of workers to work in the retail, wholesale and catering sectors, the supply of workers to undertake a limited range of agricultural activities, and the supply of workers to process and package non-food items which contain an agricultural ingredient.
	I can confirm that no specific provision has been made to exclude from the licensing requirement an agricultural contractor who supplies relief milkers. Paragraph 8 of the schedule to the exclusions regulations does make provision for the exclusion of a service provider who uses a worker to provide a machinery service to a farmer. However, to qualify for this exclusion, the worker used must operate machinery owned or hired by the service provider. In the case of a relief milking service, it is unlikely that the service provider would qualify for an exemption as in most cases the milking machinery will be owned or leased by the farmer and not by the service provider.
	It is possible that an agency supplying relief milkers may qualify for exclusion from the licensing requirements through the provisions relating tothe supply of specialist agricultural workers at paragraph 13 of the exclusions regulations. However, to qualify for this exemption, the worker supplied by the agency is required to hold a level 2 National or Scottish National Vocational Qualification which is relevant to the work in question. Furthermore, the worker must be supplied by the agency for employment by the farmer, and on the day the supply of the relief milker is made, the agency cannot supply any other workers to that farmer.
	Defra will be reviewing the operation of the Gangmaster Licensing (Exclusions) Regulations 2006 one year after the introduction of licensing. We will ensure that the industry is fully consulted when the review is undertaken.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Roberts of Conwy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who headed the Medical Research Council's review of research originally funded by the Government of the United States into Gulf War illnesses; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 23 October (WA 214-5), whether the Medical Research Council will now make an assessment of the findings to date of the research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Services in the United States on microglial activation following neurotoxic exposure: theself-propelling cycle of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative disease and their possible relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 23 October (WA 214-5), whether the Medical Research Council will now make an assessment of the findings to date of the research at the National Institute of Environmental Health Services in the United States on non-invasive imaging of inflammation on the central nervous system and their possible relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Following a Ministry of Defence (MoD) request for independent advice, in January 2003 the Medical Research Council (MRC), through the Military Health Research Advisory Group (MHRAG), undertook a comprehensive review of relevant Gulf research, including both UK and overseas studies. The review (MRC review of research into UK Gulf veterans' illnesses) was chaired by Professor Catherine Peckham of the Institute of Child Health, London.
	The review made a number of recommendations in terms of further research, other data that needed collection and additional reviews that should be undertaken. The monitoring of emerging research of possible relevance to Gulf War veterans (being undertaken at any particular research institution) was not part of these recommendations, and MRC has no plans to undertake this monitoring.

Gulf War Illnesses

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 October (WA 174), what study the Medical Research Council has made of the research on immune abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome at the University of Miami School of Medicine and its possible relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: In January 2003, the Medical Research Council (MRC), through the Military Health Research Advisory Group (MHRAG), undertook a comprehensive review of relevant Gulf research, including both UK and overseas studies. The review considered research on immune abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Some other research relevant to CFS/myalgic encephalomyelitis was also considered.
	The review made a number of recommendations in terms of further research, other data that needed collection and additional reviews that should be undertaken. The monitoring of emerging research of possible relevance to Gulf War veterans was not part of these recommendations, and MRC has no plans to undertake this monitoring.

Home Office: IND Website

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ensure that all British consular posts identify any links on their websites to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) website; and that any broken links are updated to take into account the recent reorganisation of the Home Office IND website.

Lord Triesman: The responsible directorates in London and post webmasters are checking consular and visa information carried on Foreign and Commonwealth Office post websites and will correct any incorrect links to the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate website.

Israel and Palestine: Road Map

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the latest quartet meeting on23 October will be followed by an early resumption of substantive negotiations on the Middle East road map.

Lord Triesman: We will continue to discuss with our international partners the way forward for the Middle East peace process. Both Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas remain committed to the road map as the way forward and have committed themselves to talks without pre-conditions. Substantive negotiations require a conducive political climate. We will continue to work with international partners to achieve this.

Junk Mail

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the increased amount that will enter the waste stream if the limit on junk mail is abolished.

Lord Rooker: About 550,000 tonnes of direct mail are sent out every year (approximately 2 per cent of the household waste stream). The Direct Mail Association (DMA), which represents about 900 members involved in the direct mail and promotions industry, signed an agreement with Government in July 2003 to raise recycling levels to 30 percent by the end of 2005,55 per cent by the end of 2009 and 70 per cent by the end of 2013. The DMA has also pledged to help cut down on waste by improving the targeting of direct mail campaigns and by publicising services such as the Mail Preference Service, which enables people to stop direct mail being sent to them. Further information on the service is available at www.mpsonline.org.uk.
	Registrations with the MPS have increased by145 per cent since this agreement was signed and this has contributed to a 5.6 per cent reduction in the amount of direct mail produced per annum. The DMA is also currently working on developing a more comprehensive opt-out scheme for unaddressed mail as part of the voluntary agreement and hopes to implement this service in the near future. Apart from increasing the recycling rate of direct mail, the DMA has committed to reducing the environmental impact of direct mail in several other ways. For example, it has agreed to increase the use of recycled paper in direct mail and to avoid using materials such as certain adhesives which contaminate the recycling process.
	There have been no estimates of whether volumes of direct mail will increase as a result of Royal Mail's decision to remove the limit on the amount of junk mail that can be delivered through its service. It should be noted that this is a decision by Royal Mail and there are a number of other postal operators that deliver direct mail which do not set any limits on how much direct mail can be delivered. However, members of the public can contact the Royal Mail in orderto opt out of receiving unsolicited or unaddressed letters and leaflets delivered by them by e-mailing optout@royalmail.com.

Nepal: Interim Government

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they are helping the interim Government of Nepal (a) with the United Nations-monitored arms control programme, and (b) to establish an early date for elections to a constituent assembly.

Lord Triesman: We have set aside £1.9 million from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool to help fund a new UN mission in Nepal. The UN mission was established following parallel requests from the Government and Maoists for help in monitoring human rights; the code of conduct, agreed on 26 May 2006 to help govern the ceasefire; arms management for both sides; and providing election observation for the election of the constituent assembly.
	We are in close contact with the head of the UN mission, Ian Martin, about how we can best support the mission, including through effective use of UK funds. We will continue to urge the Government and the Maoists to make use of the UN's expertise to help tackle the contentious issues such as arms management and elections to a constituent assembly. We will continue to urge the Maoists to demonstrate their democratic credentials by a commitment to arms separation and decommissioning. An effective arms management arrangement that can be monitored by the UN should be a precondition to free, fair and inclusive elections to a constituent assembly. The peace process cannot be successful unless the Maoists enter the constituent assembly as a peaceful democratic party.

Nepal: Interim Government

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are planning any high-level visits to the interim Government of Nepal during the next three months; and what ministerial contacts have already been made.

Lord Triesman: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, visited Nepal from 25 to 28 September and met Prime Minister Koirala and other Ministers, as well as with MPs from the peace committee. He also had the opportunity to meet the newly appointed Army Chief, General Katawal, and the UN Secretary-General's Personal Representative, Ian Martin.
	During his visit, my honourable friend gave strong messages of support for the peace process, urged rapid and effective use of UN help, and stressed the need to build confidence, including by addressing past and continuing human rights abuses. The full text of a statement my honourable friend delivered at a press conference during his visit to Nepal can be found at www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1070039733672&a=KArticle&aid=1159193466581.
	No further high-level visits are currently being planned to Nepal. The Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, KP Oli, plans to visit the UK in January 2007, which will include attendance at a Wilton Park conference on human rights.

Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What files were lost by the Natural History Museum in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the museum; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Some 363 boxes of Natural History Museum (NHM) finance records were destroyed in the fire at the storage warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent. This is around half of the total number of boxes that the offsite records storage company using the warehouse store for the NHM. The destroyed material generally ranged in date from 1996 to 2003 and included items such as till receipts, invoices and budget records.
	To date, the museum is not aware of any major impact or a direct negative effect on work, or of any costs being incurred as a result of the lost records. The museum has reviewed the schedule of records lost and concluded that most items were due for destruction within the next two years.

Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What files were lost by the National Gallery in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the gallery; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The National Gallery lost nine boxes of records in the fire at the Iron Mountain storage facility in Twelvetrees Crescent, Bow. Eight boxes contained financial records due for destruction in April 2007. The likelihood of a requirement to use the information contained in these before then is low, so there is no directly quantifiable financial cost involved and the impact on the gallery's work is negligible. The ninth box contained disaster planning records which will cost approximately £20 to replace.

Prisoners: Literacy and Numeracy Skills

Baroness Williams of Crosby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the current population of young offenders and other prisoners assessed on reception into prison as having literacy and numeracy skills below level 1 in (a) 2003-04; (b) 2004-05; and (c) 2005-06.

Lord Adonis: The information requested by the noble Baroness will be held by individual establishments but is not gathered centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost. In financial year 2002-03,39.9 per cent of prisoners screened at induction had reading skills below level 1 and 42.9 per cent had numeracy skills below level 1.

Residential Care Homes

Lord Whitty: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What guidance is given by the Department of Health in relation to the suitability of companies tendering for contracts for the provision of residential care.

Lord Warner: Before services can begin to operate, all providers of residential care are required to meet the requirements set down in the National Care Standards Commission (Registration) Regulations 2001. The Commission for Social Care Inspection, which replaced the National Care Standards Commission from April 2004, assesses whether applications for registration with the commission are from people of integrity and good character and the service will be run in line with the regulations and standards set by the Government.

Russia: Yekaterina Sorkiryanskaya

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made, or are making, to the Government of Russia concerning alleged police violence against Yekaterina Sokiryanskaya at a recent memorial gathering for Anna Politkovskaya; and whether in those representations they emphasised, or are emphasising, that by invitation in September and OctoberMs Sokiryanskaya had attended a conference at Ditchley Park chaired by Sir Brian Fall on the Caucasus region.

Lord Triesman: We have drawn to the attention of the Russian Government our concern at reports of police violence during a picket on 16 October in Nazran, Ingushetia, where it is alleged that Ms Sokirianskaya was beaten by officers. In so doing, we referred toMs Sokirianskaya's attendance at the recent Ditchley Park conference, at which the Russian Government were also represented.
	The right to freedom of assembly is guaranteed in the constitution of the Russian Federation and we have urged the Russian authorities to respect this right. We regularly discuss the progress of democratic reforms in Russia, including freedom of assembly and the media, with the Russian authorities. This issue will form part of the next EU-Russia human rights consultations in Brussels on 8 November.

Schools: Free Meals

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many school pupils receive free school meals in each region of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and what those figures are as a percentage of the school population in each case.

Lord Adonis: Information on pupils known to be eligible for free school meals are shown in the tables. The figures for each country are based upon the following definitions:
	England: Information on pupils eligible for free school meals is collected at pupil level in England. Pupils should be recorded as eligible only if a claim for free school meals has been made by them or on their behalf by parents and either (a) the relevant authority has confirmed their eligibility and a free school meal is currently being provided for them, or (b) the school or the local authority have seen the necessary documentation (for example, an income support award notice) that supports their eligibility, and the administration of the free meal is to follow as a matter of process. It is not known how many pupils could be eligible but are not submitting a claim.
	Scotland: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in schools in Scotland is derived from the school meal survey made by local authorities to the Scottish Executive in March each year. Pupils are recorded as eligible if they are registered for free school meals, or if the authority knows from other sources that the pupil would be eligible. There will also be others who would be eligible about which authorities are unaware.
	Wales: Information on pupils eligible for free school meals is collected at pupil level in Wales. Eligibility depends on receipt (by parent or pupil) of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. Pupils should be recorded as eligible only if they have claimed free school meals and (a) the relevant authority has confirmed their eligibility, or (b) final confirmation of eligibility is still awaited but the school has seen documents that strongly indicate eligibility (for example an income support order book) and on the basis of those has commenced provision of free meals. It is not known how many pupils could be eligible but are not submitting a claim.
	Northern Ireland: A pupil is to be regarded as entitled to free meals only on receipt of notification from the education and library board, or, in the absence of such notification, in either of the following situations:
	on transfer from another school, where written confirmation has been received from the previous school that the pupil has a current free meal entitlement; orwhere the school already holds confirmation of current entitlement to free meals in respect of a sibling of the pupil.
	
		
			 Maintained Nursery and Primary and Secondary Schools (1): School Meal Arrangements (2) January 2006 by Government Office Region in England 
			  Maintained nursery and primary Maintained secondary 
			  Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals 
			 England 4,187,630 670,340 16.0 3,309,720 448,680 13.6 
			 North-east 215,430 43,310 20.1 174,770 27,990 16.0 
			 North-west 600,400 114,740 19.1 462,630 79,100 17.1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 446,780 69,670 15.6 345,870 50,370 14.6 
			 East Midlands 361,730 43,650 12.1 296,230 30,280 10.2 
			 West Midlands 473,940 86,980 18.4 375,670 58,570 15.6 
			 East of England 444,400 49,290 11.1 389,880 36,200 9.3 
			 London 633,960 161,630 25.5 423,540 98,170 23.2 
			 Inner London 232,970 85,020 36.5 127,880 47,720 37.3 
			 Outer London 401,000 76,610 19.1 295,670 50,450 17.1 
			 South-east 630,710 61,440 9.7 514,940 41,100 8.0 
			 South-west 380,280 39,630 10.4 326,180 26,910 8.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. 
			 (2) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. 
			 (3) Includes pupils of all ages. 
			 Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. 
			 Source:  Schools Census 
		
	
	
		
			 Maintained Primary and Secondary School: School Meals 2006 Scotland 
			  Maintained nursery and primary Maintained secondary 
			  Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals 
			 Scotland 390,725 74,279 19 305,148 44,400 15 
			 Aberdeen City 12,915 2,413 19 10,132 1,141 11 
			 Aberdeenshire 19,831 1,616 8 15,524 769 5 
			 Angus 9,063 1,245 14 6,869 644 9 
			 Argyll & Bute 6,734 788 12 5,513 479 9 
			 Clackmannanshire 4,058 980 24 2,901 486 17 
			 Dumfries & Galloway 11,409 1,552 14 9,302 938 10 
			 Dundee City 10,074 2,633 26 8,027 1,509 19 
			 East Ayrshire 9,579 2,021 21 7,777 1,212 16 
			 East Dunbartonshire 9,126 736 8 8,106 585 7 
			 East Lothian 7,655 1,088 14 5,602 641 11 
			 East Renfrewshire 8,594 778 9 7,443 615 8 
			 Edinburgh, City of 25,561 5,425 21 19,125 2,916 15 
			 Eilean Siar 2,144 270 13 1,856 122 7 
			 Falkirk 11,980 2,090 17 8,620 1,213 14 
			 Fife 27,730 5,346 19 21,465 3,179 15 
			 Glasgow City 39,503 15,321 39 28,690 9,111 32 
			 Highland 17,499 2,396 14 14,521 1,517 10 
			 Inverclyde 6,306 1,556 25 5,214 941 18 
			 Midlothian 6,640 1,050 16 5,280 580 11 
			 Moray 7,497 828 11 5,781 530 9 
			 North Ayrshire 11,020 2,590 24 8,690 1,668 19 
			 North Lanarkshire 27,640 5,840 21 21,119 3,374 16 
			 Orkney Islands 1,718 145 8 1,402 75 5 
			 Perth & Kinross 10,043 786 8 7,660 392 5 
			 Renfrewshire 13,587 2,530 19 11,027 1,640 15 
			 Scottish Borders 8,733 853 10 6,796 429 6 
			 Shetland Islands 1,885 156 8 1,626 92 6 
			 South Ayrshire 8,197 1,499 18 7,046 983 14 
			 South Lanarkshire 24,429 4,457 18 19,249 3,073 16 
			 Stirling 6,946 843 12 5,747 674 12 
			 West Dunbartonshire 7,300 1,716 24 5,998 1,209 20 
			 West Lothian 14,868 2,729 18 10,460 1,660 16 
			 Grant Maintained (1) 461 * * 580 * * 
			 (1) Where numbers involve fewer than five individuals, data have been marked by a *. Where this figure then contributes to the total, it has been substituted by the figure 3 
			 Source:  Scottish Executive Statistics Publication Notice: Education Series: School Meals in Scotland 2006 
		
	
	
		
			 Primary and Secondary Schools: Pupils (Of Any Age) Entitled to Free School Meals January 2006 Unitary Authorities in Wales 
			  Primary Secondary 
			  Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals 
			 Wales 44,708 16.8 31,160 14.6 
			 Isle of Anglesey 905 16.5 666 14.4 
			 Gwynedd 1,293 12.8 887 11.1 
			 Conwy 1,227 13.3 957 12.3 
			 Denbighshire 1,035 12.2 832 10.7 
			 Flintshire 1,414 10.2 1,116 10.4 
			 Wrexham 1,534 13.3 954 13.3 
			 Powys 1,061 9.9 740 8 
			 Ceredigion 605 11.7 497 9.6 
			 Pembrokeshire 1,576 14.8 1,099 12.6 
			 Carmarthenshire 2,357 15.7 1,647 13.2 
			 Swansea 3,921 18.9 2,595 17.3 
			 Neath Port Talbot 2,452 19.4 1,792 19.1 
			 Bridgend 2,375 19.1 1,405 14.3 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 1,393 11.8 889 9.2 
			 Rhondda,Cynon,Taff 5,255 24 3,503 18.5 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 1,383 26 964 22.4 
			 Caerphilly 3,321 19.2 2,285 17.5 
			 Blaenau Gwent 1,501 23.3 976 19.9 
			 Torfaen 1,521 18.3 1,124 13.9 
			 Monmouthshire 665 9.3 463 8.1 
			 Newport 2,588 19.1 1,798 16.5 
			 Cardiff 5,326 19.2 3,971 18.4 
			 Source:  Welsh Assembly 
			 First Release, Schools Census 2006: Provisional Results 
		
	
	
		
			 Primary and Secondary Schools: Free School Meals Entitlement 2005-06 by Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland 
			  Primary schools (1) Secondary schools(2) 
			  Pupils on school roll Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals Pupils on school roll Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals 
			 Northern Ireland 169,946 33,115 19 151,840 28,714 19 
			 Belfast 25,724 8,151 32 31,141 6,961 22 
			 North Eastern 31,154 5,077 16 27,593 4,634 17 
			 South Eastern 38,292 4,883 13 32,992 3,746 11 
			 Southern 36,241 7,288 20 26,484 6,306 24 
			 Western 38,535 7,716 20 33,630 7,067 21 
			 (1) Primary includes reception and nursery classes in primary schools 
			 (2) Secondary includes both secondary and grammar schools 
			 Source:  Northern Ireland Department for Education

Somalia

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any evidence that either Eritrea or Ethiopia is supplying arms and equipment to Somalia.

Lord Triesman: We are aware of reports that various countries in the region have sent military support to the opposing sides in Somalia in breach of the UN arms embargo on that country. With our partners on the UN Security Council, we continue to urge all parties inside and outside Somalia to refrain from action that could provoke violence, to respect the UN arms embargo on Somalia and to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

Turkey: Cypriot Ships and Aircraft

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their assessment of the prospect of Turkey acceding to the official European Union request to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and aircraft.

Lord Triesman: The European Community and its member states made clear on21 September 2005 that they,
	"expect full, non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol, and the removal of all obstacles to the free movement of goods",
	and that,
	"the EU will monitor this closely and evaluate full implementation in 2006".
	This evaluation is yet to be published. The Government continue to urge the Turkish authorities to implement the protocol.

Venice Biennale: British Pavilion

Lord Carlile of Berriew: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much public money was spent on the funding of the British Pavilion at the current Venice architectural biennale; and what is their assessment of its effectiveness as a showcase for contemporary British architecture.

Lord Triesman: The British Council has owned and managed the pavilion on behalf of Britain since 1938. In 2006, it cost £230,000 to fund the British Pavilion at the Venice architecture biennale.
	The Venice biennale of architecture is the world's most important discussion platform for contemporary architecture and urban design and is a highly effective way of showcasing the best of UK architecture. This is reflected in the growing numbers of visitors and international media coverage received. In 2004, 115,000 people visited the architecture biennale—an increase of 11 per cent on the previous event in 2002. We expect this will rise to 140,000 people in 2006.

Water Management: S&T Report

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to paragraph 8.52 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191—I), whether the consultation on the United Kingdom Technical Advisory Group's proposals has been completed; and when they will respond to the consultation.

Lord Rooker: The UK Technical Advisory Group on the Water Framework Directive (UKTAG) has completed the stakeholder review of the first tranche of standards referred to in the government response to the Science and Technology Select Committee report, and published its final report and response to stakeholders on its website (www.wfduk.org/).
	Defra is in the process of preparing a public consultation on the standards and conditions recommended by UKTAG. Defra is also preparing a partial regulatory impact assessment on the potential benefits and costs of these standards if they were used by the Environment Agency in assessing the status of bodies of water and setting environmental objectives in England.

Water Supply: Catchment Abstraction Management

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by theLord Rooker on 25 July (WA 256), how many further catchment abstraction management strategies have now been completed; and whether the analysis by assessment points supports the earlier finding concerning over-licensing and over-abstracting.

Lord Rooker: The Environment Agency had completed 74 out of a total of 119 catchment abstraction management strategies (CAMS) by September 2006. The results of the additional 10 CAMS have not yet been collated to update the proportion of assessment points suggested as over-licensed or as over-abstracted.

Waterways: Rivers

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will include the whole of the river network in England and Wales within the catchment boundaries under the European Union Water Framework Directive; and
	Whether they support the recommendation from Natural England that an additional 129 sites of special scientific interest and 149 biodiversity action plan sites should be characterised as "water bodies" under the European Union Water Framework Directive.

Lord Rooker: The Environment Agency identified water bodies in accordance with the European Union Water Framework Directive and these were described within the Article 5 characterisation reports relating to England and Wales, which were submitted to the European Commission in March 2005.
	To coincide with the publication of those reports, Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government undertook to consider further whether additional waters of biodiversity significance should be identified as water bodies under the directive.
	The department is currently considering apaper submitted, in August, jointly by Natural England and the Environment Agency containing recommendations relating to waters of biodiversity significance and the identification of the entire river network in England.
	In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government set out their policy on the consideration of small water bodies within the river basin planning guidance they gave to the Environment Agency in August, under Regulation 20 of The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003. The guidance sought to encourage a collaborative approach between the agency and Countryside Council for Wales to ensure a joined-up approach to conservation.
	The department also set out within its river basin planning guidance to the Environment Agency, in August, that the river basin planning process in England should take into account the objectives of relevant nature conservation designations and plans, for example, sites of special scientific interest and UK biodiversity action plan (UKBAP) habitat and species plans.